Voices from the exile

Description

Voices from Exile: The Safety Needs of Myanmar Women Journalists in Thailand is a powerful, evidence-based report by Exile Hub that documents how women journalists who fled Myanmar after the 2021 military coup are struggling to survive and continue their work in exile. Drawing on surveys of 79 journalists, focus group discussions in Chiang Mai and Mae Sot, and interviews with major Myanmar media outlets, the report reveals a crisis that is not only political, but deeply gendered and human.

After the coup, Myanmar became one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, forcing many women reporters to flee to Thailand. Yet exile has not brought real safety. Most respondents left Myanmar because of direct threats, arrests, and violence, but in Thailand many live without legal status, stable income, or secure housing. Over half of the women surveyed had no valid visa or documentation, leaving them vulnerable to police extortion, arrest, and possible deportation back into the hands of the military regime. Some reported spending more than 30% of their income just to avoid being detained.

The report shows that financial insecurity is one of the most severe threats. Many women journalists earn far below Thailand’s minimum wage, even while supporting families and children. Most are the sole breadwinners in their households. Media outlets, themselves underfunded in exile, cannot provide stable salaries, leaving women trapped in poverty, shared housing, and constant uncertainty.

Journalistic work itself has become harder and more dangerous. Many women must write under pseudonyms or without bylines to protect themselves and their sources, which damages their careers and prevents them from building professional recognition. Contacting sources inside Myanmar is risky and often insecure, increasing the danger to both reporters and the people they interview.

Being a woman adds another layer of vulnerability. The report documents widespread gender-based discrimination, bullying, and harassment inside media organizations and in shared safehouses. Women are sometimes expected to perform unpaid domestic labor, threatened with dismissal if they complain, and discouraged from seeking better opportunities. Few workplaces have clear sexual-harassment or human-resources policies, leaving women with little protection when abuse occurs.

Mentally and emotionally, many women live in constant fear. Even in Thailand, they worry about surveillance by Myanmar military intelligence, betrayal by informants, and sudden arrest. Nearly half said that although their situation changed after fleeing Myanmar, it did not truly become safer.

Voices from Exile is more than a research report—it is a testimony to courage under repression and neglect. It calls on media organizations, donors, and international supporters to move beyond short-term emergency aid and invest in legal protection, fair pay, safe housing, and gender-sensitive workplace policies. Without this, the world risks losing an entire generation of Myanmar women journalists—and with them, the voices that tell the truth about one of today’s most brutal conflicts